Duterte fears final drug list could spark more killings
President Rodrigo Duterte has said he is reluctant to release to the public the third and final drug list that contains the names of politicians, judges and policemen.
In his speech at the 115th anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard on Wednesday, Duterte said releasing the list would “discourage” the public and could spark more killings.
READ: Duterte apologizes for lapses in drug matrix
“I said be careful that there are about 5,000 barangay captains on my list. Nagda-dalawang isip ako (I am having second thoughts),” the President said.
He added, “I’m trying to vacillate whether to release it or not, or simply if you will read it, you will be discouraged. You will be downhearted because these guys are elected by the people in an election.”
“If I read all the names and they would start to cleanse themselves among themselves to prevent, you know, being drawn into the vortex of the shabu, mahihirapan tayo,” he said.
Besides, Duterte said, reading the names of drug personalities contained in his final list would be time-consuming.
“I cannot even announce them anymore. I would not have the time to announce their names individually,” he said.
Also, he said drug personalities in the drug list might kill one another if their names became public.
“Hindi ko na kaya kasi if I read it, tapos magpapatayan, if I read all the names and they would start to cleanse themselves among themselves to prevent, you know, being drawn into the vortex of the shabu, mahihirapan tayo,” he said.
“Until now, I’m trying to validate, revalidate and validate and revalidate so that I’d be fair to everybody,” he said.
The chief executive said he would give his list to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“I will just send the list to the DILG, Local Government Secretary [Ismael] Sueno,” he said
Duterte, who previously said that there were judges and governors on the list, said 6,000 policemen were also named.
He said the drug list was going through continuous revalidation.
“Until now, I’m trying to validate, revalidate and validate and revalidate so that I’d be fair to everybody,” he said.
The President earlier publicly apologized to some incumbent and former government officials he had linked to illegal drugs, saying he could not find any direct link to their involvement in the narcotics trade. CBB
